Eyelash tinting

Eyelash tint is a form of hair dye developed for specific use on the eyelashes. Eyelash tinting produces a similar effect to mascara. It visibly lengthens, darkens and thickens the appearance of eyelashes without smudging, clotting or rubbing off. The treatment is quick, cheap, safe and widely available in beauty salons across the UK.

Whether you're going on a beach holiday and want to enjoy swimming and water-sports without worrying about panda eyes, or if you're simply curious to see the enhancing effects of darker lashes, then eyelash tinting could be the beauty treatment for you.

What to expect in your eyelash tinting appointment

Consultation and patch test

Before you attend your eyelash tinting appointment, you must first attend a consultation with your chosen beauty professional. During the consultation you will be given a patch test, designed to test your body's reaction to the dye. An eyelash tinting patch test involves applying a small amount of the eyelash tint to your inner arm. This way, if you do have an allergic reaction, it should be small, controlled and well away from your vulnerable eye area. The eyelash tinting patch test needs to be carried out at least 24 hours before your actual appointment to allow time for any delayed reactions.

Your beauty therapist will also discuss the look you want and what colour dyes would suit your complexion most, whether blue-black, brown-black, or grey.

Eyelash tinting procedure

After your consultation and patch test, you must wait at least 24 hours before having the actual treatment. The appointment should take no longer than 15 to 20 minutes and will usually follow the same steps:

1. Your beauty professional will place special stickers around your eyelids to protect your eyeball from contamination.

2. The dye will then be carefully applied to both the upper and lower lashes.

3. The dye will be left for around five to 10 minutes in order to sink into the lashes and set.

4. When the five minutes is up, your beauty professional will gently wash away the dye, leaving your eyelashes looking darker, longer and thicker than before.

After the procedure

Although the eyelash tint itself is permanent, the effects will only last as long as the growth cycle of your eyelashes. As each dyed lash reaches the end of its growth cycle it will fall out and cause the darker look of your lashes to gradually fade over time.

Your eyelash tint will last around 4-6 weeks, depending on the growth cycle of your lashes.

Benefits of eyelash tinting

You won't have to wear mascara

As fantastic an invention as it is, mascara can still be troublesome. It smudges, rubs off easily and looks bad if it's not applied properly. Other problems with wearing mascara include:

'panda eyes' after a day of wear

stains pillow if you forget to take it off before sleep

can clump up and drop from the lashes, leaving black dots on the skin

doesn't last very long - tubes need to be replaced regularly

expensive to keep replacing

time consuming to apply.

Eyelash tinting is essentially a semi-permanent form of mascara which stays smudge-free and perfect until you shed your lashes naturally.

Great for pale complexions

Blonde and red hair, although beautiful, can have its downsides. Often, people with very pale complexions also have very delicate, pale, barely-there eyelashes. This can create a low-contrast look which hides away the eyes and makes them appear smaller. Eyelash tinting will create that all-important definition and add frame and structure to a pale face.

Soft and gentle

People who are allergic to some cosmetics could consider trying eyelash tinting instead. The dye used for the process is usually formulated from vegetable fats for minimum irritation.

Suits an active lifestyle

Even if you do have a high-pressured job, enjoy regular outdoor activities and participate in extreme sports, that doesn't mean you have to neglect your beauty regime. If you don't like spending ages perfecting your lashes with the mascara and eyelash combs, an eyelash tint may be the answer. You may decide you don't even need to use mascara, eliminating any unattractive clumps and freeing up time for other morning activities. For anyone who plays sport, goes to the gym regularly or leads a particularly active lifestyle, looking good can be an on-going struggle. One 15 minute eyelash tinting session should help your lashes look effortlessly long and luscious, regardless of sweat, sea water and harsh weather.

Relatively low cost

If you added up the amount of money you spend on mascara every year, you would probably be shocked. Women buy an average of five mascaras every year, at around £15 a pop1. That's a total of £75. Eyelash tinting prices start from around £8 but costs vary depending on location and reputation of the salon or professional you choose. If you had your eyelashes tinted once every six weeks at £8 a session, you'd spend no more than £64 a year, so eyelash tinting could end up being even more cost-efficient than mascara.

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